Confusion and Turnabout
by purplefishcake
Summary: CHAPTER 8: Just as Phoenix, Maya and Pearls were about to enter an ice-cream shop, it exploded. Another body was found and just as they were going to interrogate a witness to a previous crime, she disappeared. Like one of those rabbits during a magic act.
1. Prologue sorta

**A/N: Bwehehe… my first fic. I hope you people enjoy this. I don't really have a plot yet, so I'm making it up as I go. But I promise that I will try to keep you guessing who the murderer is. Or at least try. Hehehe…Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Phoenix Wright or any of the characters in the Ace Attorney game. I only own the yet-to-be-thought-of-plot and my yet-to-be-thought-of OCs and my sanity.**

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I, Phoenix Wright, stood in the courtroom sweating bullets. How did I get into this mess? I was cornered once again. By Winston Payne no less, the worst prosecutor working for the prosecutor's office-according to my assistant, Maya Fey, that is. There was no way out.

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It was a normal day at Wright and Co. Law Offices. If you count two spirit mediums bursting through the office door without warning and shoving a newspaper article in your face thus pushing you backwards into the going-to-be-washed toilet bowl, that is. Ugh. I smell like a dead animal carcass now. I need a bath.

"Nicknicknicknicknicknicknick!," Maya shouted all in one breath. Where does she get all this energy from? I wonder if she had an overdose of coffee this morning. Then again, she's always like this so that would probably mean that she has an overdose everyday. I think I'm going to need to prepare a grave for her. She'll probably die of overdoses of caffeine.

"Mister Nick, why are you so quiet all of a sudden? You should listen to what Mystic Maya has to say! After all, she is your special someone, right?" Pearls, Maya's cousin who is also a spirit medium in training said as she put both her hands to her face cupping it and dozing off to Lala Land.

I sighed. Clearly, this little girl has not forgotten that Maya and I had worked a few cases together in the past, but I don't have any special feelings for her. I think.

Maya, who had just came back into my office, holding a plate of cookies and had left sometime when I was thinking to myself, continued what she was saying earlier.

"Nicknicknicknicknicknicknicknicknicknicknicknicknicknicknick!!" she said again, this time with more 'Nicks' and more energy. I made a mental note to myself that sugar rushes give you more energy than an overdose of caffeine. "Look at this! Franziska is back! According to this, she said that she'll be looking forward to taking her revenge on you! I can't wait for the face-off! I wonder how long you'll be able to last her whipping this time..."

"NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" I mentally screamed. The evil Franziska and her even more evil whip is back! Go to your happy place. Go to your happy place.

I looked at the grinning Maya standing before me. Evil glinted in her eyes. The worse possible thing that could happen now was her running toward Franziska, asking her to give her whipping lessons. Since Pearls practically lives for Maya, she'll join her and that will make up three people whipping me non-stop. Sigh. I'd better get started on my will soon…

"Is that all?" I asked her.

"Nope!" she said, grinning again, "I've got a present for you!"

I raised an eyebrow. Where did she get the money to buy a present? Hmm…I wonder if she has another job I do not know about. A shoplifter, maybe?

"Here!" She handed me a neatly wrapped present. It was rectangular and smooth. She probably got me a book or something made from paper. My eyes lit up. It could be a certain book I saw the other day at the book shop.

I carefully unwrapped the gift with Pearls and Maya watching nearby. It was a big brown envelope. If inside this envelope is another envelope, I'm pretty sure the gift would probably be just envelopes in envelopes. Knowing Maya, this is the most likely possibility. I opened it and inside was an autopsy report. Oh, oh dear. Who did the authorities suspect she 'killed' this time?

I looked at Maya. She and Pearly were in a corner talking about getting burgers later. I know that I'll be paying. "Maya, what's this supposed to be?" I asked her.

"Glad you asked, Nick! Hee hee hee..." Maya said as she clapped her hands together and nodded her head eagerly. "Well you see, I was watching the news last night and I saw this man getting arrested by Detective Gumshoe! So, since no one was going to take his case…"

"You thought that I would."

"Yep!" she grinned again. Seriously, is that smile glued to her face or something?

Pearls padded up to us. "So, when are we going to meet your new client, Mister Nick?"

I was about to say that I was not going to take another case until I finish cleaning the toilet but I looked at Pearls who was giving me her cute puppy-dog eyes. She was just too cute to say 'no' to. Curse her cuteness.

"We'll go now, but where'd you get the autopsy from?" I turned to Maya who had eaten the plate clean when I had my very short conversation with Pearls.

"Huh? Oh. Well, I met Detective Gumshoe on the way here and, after a veeeeeeeeeeery long beg, I persuaded him to give me a copy of the report. He looked really sad about it too."

I sighed again, picturing Maya shouting 'please' over and over again until Gumshoe's head was at the verge of explosion. "Well, we'd better get going then. I think we should go meet this new client of mine."

We all headed toward the detention center, wondering who my client would be like and what he was like. At this rate, I won't get a chance to clean the toilet…

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**A/N: So how is it so far? Whether you like it or hate it, I don't mind. It is my first story after all. I need to make up names and places now. I'm no good at that. Please review! I will really appreciate any review whether good or bad. But please tell me what I did wrong if you don't like it, so that I can correct it soon. Thank you! ^^ Um... that's all for now, I think.**


	2. The Defendant and New Questions

**A/N: Here's the next chapter. I'm trying my best to research about some types of poison, but my researches have not been helpful. Or at least, I cannot really understand some scientific words and descriptions. So, please bear with me with small amount of knowledge of potassium cyanide. I just love that poison. No, I am my not planning to kill anyone real. Just the victim in this story, and maybe a few other characters as well. I'm not really sure. Once again, I haven't thought of a plot for the story. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own PW or anyone in the AA series.**

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We arrived at the detention center shortly and we waited for it to open.

When it opened, Maya and Pearls were dragging me across the floor. I could feel the soles of my shoes burning. I was waiting for the smoke to rise and buckets of water to be doused on me.

The defendant was tall and had long spiky hair growing on the back of his head. A multi-coloured mohawk perched at the top of his head. He looked like he was able to kill anyone. I wondered whether my previous client, Will Powers, would win an arm-wrestling competition against him. They were both rather well-built. He had small narrow eyes and a small bone-crushed nose. He had scars plastered across his face. His jaw was broken.

I shuddered at the sight of him. Maya did too. Pearls walked up to him and let out her small hand in greeting. The man took it and shook her hand violently. If Pearls' hand was to fall off, I'm going to break his head. And I'm sure Maya and Morgan, Pearls' mother, would channel the spirit of some dead pro-wrestler and kill him. Hmm…then again, he looked as if he'd been through worse.

"Er…hi," I greeted him.

He glared at me and nodded. Is he mute or something?

"I'm Maya, this is my cousin Pearly," Maya said as she gestured her hands towards Pearls, "And that's Nick, your new lawyer!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Nick?" So he wasn't mute after all.

"It's Wright, Phoenix Wright. Nick's just a nickname my friends call me."

"I see…well, I'm Eel, Lee Eel."

"So, Lee, do you mind telling us what happened?"

"Well, you look like a good lawyer, so yeah." He got up from his chair and reached out under the glass that separated us. "But, you have to find out the truth first before you hear my side of the story. Here's the address to the crime scene. It's a fifteen minute walk from here."

I took the paper from his hands. "Okay, I'll see what we can dig up. But, what if we don't find the 'truth' as you call it?"

"Then, I will be found guilty and you are to blame." With that, he left the room.

"Wow, he's really scary, Nick! Did you see his scars? He really gives me the creeps," Maya said. She shuddered again.

"Well, we have no choice but to trust him now. But, what did he mean by the 'truth'? Is there more to this case than meets the eye?" I thought out loud.

"I don't know, but every case is different. Now all we have to worry about is finding this 'truth' he was talking about. But, can we reveal it in just three days?" said Maya.

"Mystic Maya, I need to go back to the village for a while now. I need to run a short errand. I'll be back in a few hours. Have fun with Mister Nick!," Pearly said as she left the detention center.

"Well, should we start looking for evidence now?" Maya asked me.

"No, I think I'm going to research a bit more on the victim and my client. They are the mysteries I want to try to solve at hand. The 'truth' can wait," I answered her.

We left the detention center and went to the office.

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I turned on my computer and started punching buttons, looking for information on my client, Lee.

Apparently, he had once worked as an assassin. That's probably what gave him those scars. He had also been a soldier in a war. He was working for the Soviet Union. Cool, another reason for those scars. Hmm...maybe that was why they he was the prime suspect...

I did more research on him, reading what the faithful internet said about him. There was nothing much there; just a summary of his life so far and some general facts about him.

I next did research on the victim: Stan Nats. According to my computer, he seemed like a nice, humble, respectable, honest man. He was previously working with the FBI. Maybe _that_ was why he was killed. He also worked as a candy shop owner. I take that back. _This _was why he was killed. I can picture Maya holding a gun in front of him; threatening him to give her candy. But other than that, I couldn't picture a man like that getting killed. I looked at his picture beside his profile. HOLY COW! HE LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE LEE!

I turned off my computer. There was nothing more to research. I turned to look for Maya, hopefully she could answer my question. I found her in a corner sleeping. Beside her were some snacks she smuggled from the pantry of our office. I dared not look into the pantry. It was probably empty now,

Well, since I had more time, I should study more about the case. I took out the autopsy report Maya gave me earlier in the morning and read the page.

What was a little strange was that potassium cyanide was administered in his body an hour before he was stabbed in the heart.

I turned my computer on again and searched for some information on potassium cyanide. It said that, from a small dosage, an average adult would have a maximum amount of two hours before they die from cardiac arrest caused by the poison. Hmm…if that was the case, why go through all the trouble to stab him an hour before his planned death?

But, from a big dosage, the victim could die in minutes.

My head is starting to hurt from thinking too hard. Maya, then, woke up and attacked my computer. It fell and broke.

"Hee…hee…hee…sorry, Nick!" she apologized, "Well, since you're obviously not going to research anymore, let's go now!" She dragged me to the crime scene.

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**A/N: I would like to thank my first reviewers (**RWJX 'n' Baby Pooh** and **nick nd maya 4EVA)** for taking the time to review! I really appriciated it! Also, the next chap should be posted sometime during the weekends (Indonesian time). Thank you!  
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	3. Maya, a Suspect Again?

**A/N: My author's notes are too long. I'll shorten it from here on forth. Or at least, try. I think the title 'Confusion and Turnabout' does not suit the story, so if any of you have any suggestions, please drop it off in a review or a PM.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anyone in the AA series, I probably will when monkeys learn to fly and glasses start coming to life and attacking us. But, I'm probably on a very long waiting list to be owner if that does happen.**

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**"So you're saying that the defendant and the victim look exactly alike?" Maya asked me as we neared the crime scene.

"Yeah, sorta. Only, in the victim's picture, he wasn't giving us a death glare, he was SMILING, I tell you. SMILING!! I don't know what's scarier: him smiling or him glaring at me while eating human flesh."

"Nick, if Pearly were here, you just gave her a nightmare and she would hit you reeeaally hard for trying to scare me."

"I know, that's why I'm glad she's not here. If she was here though, I would have been dead by now."

My phone then started ringing. I answered the call. "Hello?" I asked.

"Mister Nick!" a familiar voice shouted from the other end of the phone.

"Oh, it's you Pearls!"

"Yes, um…Mister Nick, you might want to come over to Kurain Village as soon as possible."

"Why is that, Pearls?"

"Well, I'll let you figure it out when you get here."

"Right, I'll see you later." I turned off my phone. If Pearl knew my phone number, she could start calling us at random moments asking how Maya and I were. And then she would bite my head off if she found out about the incident earlier, and I do _not _want my head to be bitten off.

"So, what was that all about, Nick?" Maya asked me, leaning closer to me. She was probably trying to steal my wallet again.

"Pearls asked us to visit Kurain later."

"Whyyyyyyyyy?" Maya asked me again. Why is she so hyper all of a sudden? Did she have coffee or candy while I was on the phone with Pearls?

_**KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMM**_

"Ack!" Maya screamed and jumped behind me. "W-what w-w-was th-that?"

Suddenly our favourite detective, Detective Gumshoe, was running with his arms in the air, shouting "IT"S THE END OF THE WORLD!!!" for some reason.

Maya and I went over to where he was. "What happened?" we asked him at the same time.

"Er…Pal, I've got bad news and worse news. Which one do you want to hear first?"

Before I could say anything, Maya answered for me. "BAAAAAAAAAADDD NEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWSSSS!!" there she goes again, all hyper.

"Okay, Pal. The bad news is that someone exploded the crime scene."

"WHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT???!!!" Maya and I screamed. Hmm…We've been saying things together a few times now. Well, great minds do think alike, so…that means we have great minds!

"Don't worry pal, the good news is that, after much researching, this is not the real crime scene," he said, grinning.

"Why didn't you tell us there were good news?" Maya shouted in his ear.

"Hehe…sorry, pal. I kinda forgot."

I sighed. No wonder his paychecks are always so low.

"So, what's the 'worse' news?" I asked him. Maya was somewhere…um…over the rainbow. (1)

"Pal, the worse news is that we have reason to suggest that Maya was behind it."

"WHAAAATTT?!?!!?!?!!?!?!??!" I screamed again. If all this screaming continues, then I would lose my voice. …I wouldn't be able to shout 'OBJECTION' again.

"Yeah, pal. And we've already arrested her while you were talking to yourself."

I stared at him. Why does Maya always get arrested for crimes she didn't do? "Is she in the detention centre now?"

"Yes." I ran as fast as I could to the detention centre.

Then I stopped. "Detective Gumshoe, why were you shouting that it was the end of the world?"

"Oh about that, um...Well, you see, pal, since I was the one closest to the bomb when it exploded, it was my fault that I hadn't detonated the bomb while it was in my hands. I was fired from my job. Now, since I told you all that, you'll have to help me, pal!"

"Um...What am I supposed to do?"

"How about this, you let me work for you again, like last time."

"Er...okay?"I stared at him again. Why is it that whenever Detective Gumshoe loses his job, he always comes to me and works for me? I gave him anod and sprinted toward the detention centre.

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Maya was in the detention centre. She was arguing with the guard about something. Only, I don't know what. Hmm...then again, this _is_ Maya, so it's probably about the Steel Samurai or candy.

"NIIIIIIIIIIIIIICK!!" Maya screamed when she noticed I was behind her. Yep, this is the real Maya alright. No one has the amount of energy stored in them like Maya does.

"Maya, what did you do that made them think it was you? Did you shoot someone with an imaginary chocolate gun again and shouting 'world domination' over and over again?" I asked.

"Of course not! I was planning to do that to you on your birthday! Oops. Guess I told you your birthday present, huh? Well, they said they found a magatama caught on the bomb before it exploded, and I was the only one in town from Kurain or possesses a magatama. They said it couldn't be Pearly because she was too young and cute."

"But Maya, I have your magatama right here." I took out her magatama from my coat pocket.

"Yeah, exactly!" Maya screamed. I'm pretty sure the guard behind her is already deaf.

"Right. I'll go talk to Lee now."

I left Maya to shout until the guard behind her was deaf.

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**A/N: Well, that's about it for now.**

**(1) At school, when looking for someone or something, and you ask a person where the person or thing is, they will either answer 'Gone by the wind' (Yes, I know. It's supposed to be 'Gone with the Wind' or something like that, right?) or they answer 'Somewhere over the rainbow'. It doesn't mean that the person is dead.**

**Please review!**


	4. Pearls' Father Has a Role In This?

**A/N: The fourth chapter! ^^ Um…if some things don't make sense, please tell me. I'll fix it as soon as I can! Um…yeah, that's about it so far.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the AA game, sadly. I could have tortured them so much if I did! Ah well. On with the story.  
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I visited Lee as soon as I had finished my visit with Maya and gotten half-deaf in the process. He was the same as before, only this time, he had a new scar on his wrist. A small one, but it is still very visible. Even a terribly short person with bad eyesight and had taken off their glasses could see it.

"I see you're back. So, how is the investigation coming along?" Lee asked. He was staring at a few ants on the table, as if killing it with his mind. I wonder if such thing could happen...

"Umm…well," I tried to find the right words to tell him that the crime scene exploded. "You see, my assistant, Maya-"

"Ah yes, the lady in the purple clothes. Your special someone, the little girl called her, was she not?"

"Eh?! Umm…Err…She's not my special someone. She's just my assistant," I stuttered, my face was growing red.

Lee laughed. I wondered if he was evil. His voice and laugh clearly points out that he is evil. I wonder if he had attempted world domination before. Hmm...That is a tough question.

"Right, as I was saying, the crime scene sort of, um, exploded."

Lee's face grew pale and he started cursing under his breath. I must say that he knows a lot of colourful words. "That evil man! Why would he do such a thing? I thought we were allies! All evidence of me being innocent was there!"

I gave him a confused look. "Um, please explain it to me slowly. I don't really understand what you're talking about. Who are you talking about?"

Lee looked at me. Correction: he _glared_ at me. "I forgot that you don't know my side of story yet. Well, you'd better find out the truth! Also, put _him_ away when you see him." There he goes again, the 'truth' has arisen in this conversation as well.

"Him?" I asked

"Yeah, the person who exploded the scene."

"How do you know a male exploded the scene? A magatama was found in the crime scene and that's why Maya was arrested. She's a spirit medium and-"

"A magatama? Yep, that is decisive proof that _he_ did it."

"You _know_ what a magatama is?" I asked, shocked.

"Of course I do. It's sort of what spirit mediums use, right?"

"Yes, but how did you know that?" I asked again. How does this guy know this much about spirit mediums? Was he one? Wait, didn't Maya say that only the women from Kurain could channel spirits? Too…Much…Thinking…My brain…it's going to explode! Or, at least, start throbbing painfully.

"Well, let's just say a friend of mine knows the Kurain technique rather well." As Lee said this, he became uneasy and started twitching. Then I remembered a certain creepy doctor from a case where Maya was also a suspect.

"Does your friend happen to be Doctor Turner Grey?"

"Him? Yeah, he's my friend, but he wasn't the one who told me about the Kurain technique. In fact, I was the one who told the girl who told and killed him."

I stared at him. Someone other than those people who knows about the Kurain channeling technique exists?

"Do you want to know how I know? Hey cool, that rhymes!"

I nodded my head.

"Well, you know the little girl that came here with you the other day?"

I nodded my head again.

"Well, I know her father."

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATT???!!" I screamed.

"Hee…Hee…Hee…I bet that one shocked you. Yes, I know her father. We're best buds! Also, she knows me. And I know her too. That's why she wasn't scared when she saw me here."

I just stared at him. Pearls' father? The very same father that abandoned Pearl and her mother when Morgan wasn't chosen to be the Master of Kurain?

"Well, I'd better go now before I reveal a few more things and give you a heart attack. Of course, I'd be blamed for it and they'll end up putting me on trial again for that…" his thought trailed off and he left the room.

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I ran to the nearest railway station and paid for the earliest train heading to Kurain. I called Pearls a while ago to inform her about my arrival. I haven't told her about Maya being arrested yet. She would probably give Detective Gumshoe a black eye. The security guard that was guarding her cell, who was probably deaf now, would have a few of his bones broken. I wonder where Pearls gets her strength from…Her...Father?

I arrived in Kurain and got off the platform. I saw Pearls standing in front of the train station. She looked really cute while standing there and staring at the trees. What's so interesting about trees?

"Mister Nick!" she shouted once she caught sight of me, "Where's Mystic Maya?" She turned her head to the side, trying to look behind me, hoping to see her beloved cousin.

"Pearls, Maya was arrested again. This time, she was suspected of bombing a crime scene."

"Not again!" Pearls cried. "What's a boh-emb? Was it the scruffy detective who arrested her?" I nodded. "Just wait til I get my hands on him!" Where did Pearls pick up this violence from? Then I pictured Maya. Oh. So that's where. I remembered my conversation with Lee.

"Pearls, where is your father this very moment?"

"H-how did you know that's he's here? He just got here a while ago and I've just found out." Pearl looked astonished.

"Pearls, I'm an attorney, it's my job."

"Mister Nick has ESP too! This is great! Later, when your child is born, it can channel spirits _and_ foretell the future!"

"Umm, Pearls, my client Lee told me." Pearls stopped clapping (When did she start clapping?) and looked at me.

"Mister Lee told you, huh? So, you know who father is and what he's done?" she asked me.

"No, I don't. At least, not yet. Do you mind telling me, Pearls: Who exactly is your father and what is his role in all of this?

Then, I saw it. Five psyche-locks surrounded her. "You can see it, can't you, Mister Nick? My psyche-locks?"

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**A/N: Hehe…cliffhanger. Now, all I need to do is make up Pearl's father's role in all of this. I wonder what name I can make up for him...If he already has a name, please tell me soon! Thank you for your attention. Er, sorta, kinda, maybe, yeah.  
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**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	5. Another Crime Scene

**A/N: Okay, I know I've already written the fifth chapter but it didn't make any sense, so I've re-written it to something completely different! Although, I was planning this a while ago to explain why Pearl had to go back to Kurain. Ah well! Oh yeah, I'd like to thank** Tvrtko** for pointing out my mistake. I hope this is a much better chapter than before. Also, you get a virtual bar of chocolate! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own anyone from the AA series. **

"You can see my psyche-lock, can't you, Mister Nick?" Pearls asked again.

I nodded.

"Well, Mister Nick, I can't tell you about my father. I've only met him once, but that's enough times to tell me that being around him isn't safe. I know that he left me and Mother a long time ago, but he's been nice since she was arrested. He has written to me often, and I've really enjoyed reading his letters even though I don't understand them, though."

I smiled at the little girl. I remembered at the Hazakura Temple, she couldn't read the letter her mother gave her, and that led her to throwing gravy at the hanging scroll in the Inner Temple of the place.

"Well, Mister Nick, I'll show you the problem I was talking about over the phone earlier," she said, changing the subject.

"Pearls, do you mind telling me where your father is so that I can contact him?" I asked her.

"Um…Mister Nick? I don't know where Father is. His address keeps changing from letter to letter I receive. I haven't seen him in a very long time so I can't really remember what he looks like, but Mother always said that he I look like him."

"I see…" I replied.

"Mister Nick, are you done interrogating me? I need to show you something. It's really important."

"Okay Pearls, lead the way."

Pearls took me to Fey Manor. I didn't really see anything strange about it. I was about to ask her when she put her finger to her mouth, signaling me to keep quiet.

She walked to the winding way of the manor and I followed. What was the important thing she wanted to show me? Where was it? Then, I saw what she had probably wanted to show me.

A bloodied body lay lifeless on the ground. The body wasn't moving. I couldn't see the rise and fall of it's chest. It had been dead for a while now. The dead-person smell loomed in the air. I stared at it.

"Pearls, how long has it been here?" I asked her.

"Since before I came back. This was why I needed to return to Kurain. Some of the trainees smelt the blood from the garden and found the body. They called me, but I couldn't make out their words. Finally, I managed to understand a bit of what they were saying. They said, 'Pearl, come quick! We have an emergency' followed by a loud truck noise and video-game laser beam sounds from the other end of the phone. I was really worried so I came."

I glanced at Pearls, then at the body before I took out my phone and dialed the cops. They said that they would be here in half an hour. I took the time to examine the scene.

There was nothing out of place besides the body on the floor, but I still looked around for the slightest thing that was out of place. I stopped when I was in front of the incinerator.

A puddle of blood was around it. A lot of blood had been spilled. I walked toward the incinerator and stopped again when I saw another body behind it. How many people did this person kill?

On the second victim's body, I found a knife sticking out of it's chest. I made a mental note to myself to ask the detective in charge—which would probably be Detective Gumshoe, considering all the times I met him during my investigations…I wonder if he has a hobby of stalking us, then again, whenever I'm with Maya, I'm forced to go out and spend a few hundred bucks on food…He is probably always hungry—to check for fingerprints.

I looked at Pearls and asked, "Pearls, do you know them?"

"Um, well, I have this nagging feeling that I've seen them somewhere before, but I don't know where."

"Okay, then, Pearls. Please continue thinking. This might be important for our case."

"Right!" she said.

The authorities soon arrived. They inspected every nook and cranny of the place as I had before and they wrote a few notes to themselves in their notepads.

"Hey, pal! It seems that you're here too," a familiar voice said. I knew the voice all too well.

"Hello, Detective Gumshoe. Nice to see you again," I greeted him.

We exchanged nods and continued with our work. There weren't much there, but I managed to find a few things: a knife; two pens; a few sheets of paper; a photograph of a family that might have been the killer's; a small sheet of cloth and a bottle of red liquid.

I remembered the note I made to myself earlier. "Detective Gumshoe, do you mind doing me a favour?" I asked.

"Sure, pal. As long as it doesn't concern money." He grinned.

"I was wondering if you would tell me who the fingerprints on the knife found on the victim behind the incinerator's body belonged to."

"That, pal, I can do."

I left the detective and headed for the incinerator again. There was something odd about the incinerator for some reason. It was opened. Normally it would have been closed, unless someone had been burning something recently, but Pearls knew better than to touch the crime scene.

The incinerator had some burnt papers in it. It was kind of like that time in Hazakura temple, where Pearls burnt, or at least attempted to burn, a letter she received from her mother.

I slowly took them out. It was a suicide letter. If this was the suicide letter, then where was the person attempting suicide? It was probably one of the victims that lay on the floor. I quickly stuffed the letter in my pocket before any one of the police saw me. This is important information, at least, it might be.

I thought of heading back to my office with Pearls to try to make out what the letter said, but it might seem suspicious, so I went to the side room of the manor, along with Pearls, to do what I was planning to do in my office.

**A/N: And on to my next chap! …When I'm done with it, that is. Since it is the weekend, I'll update soon! I'll try to, but no promises.**


	6. Another Mystery to Solve

**A/N: Chapter 6 ^^ Sorry for the late update. I got sick...again. I am now on my bed typing this. And I just recovered from my fit of coughs last week... What is wrong with me???  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything in the AA series.**

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Pearls and I walked into the side room of the Fey Manor. I laid out the suicide note on the floor. It said 'SUICIDE NOTE' at the very top. Any idiot would know this was a suicide note just by looking at the top of the page.

"Mister Nick, this note has the letters 'I' 'a', 'c', 'd'…" Pearls stopped. Did something happen? She wasn't continuing her reading of each random letter.

"Pearls, is there something the matter?" I asked her.

Pearls looked up from the paper. "This symbol over here," she said, pointing to a drawing of a magatama on the bottom of the page. It was a drawn in black ink and there are clouds surrounding it.

"What about it, Pearls?" I asked.

"It seems strangely familiar to me. Mister Nick! Is there something wrong with me? I keep seheing things that seem familiar but I can't remember them! Do I need to go see a doctor?" she started panicking.

I smiled at Pearls; she's a really adorable little girl. "There's nothing wrong with you, Pearls. At least, I don't think so. Maya doesn't think so too."

Then, she stared at me. No, wait. She was staring at something behind me. Her face was in shock. Slowly, she extended her hand and pointed at something behind me. "Mister Nick…"

I turned to look at what she was pointing at. I saw a hanging scroll with a picture of a lady in acolyte clothing and with the same symbol on top of it.

"Mystic Amelia," Pearl whispered.

"Mystic Amelia?" I asked. Who is this 'Mystic Amelia' Pearls mentioned just now?

"She was the person Mother put in charge of the trainees when Mother was sent to jail. According to the trainees, she has been missing for a while now and I think the corpse we found behind the incinerator was her. Her body was covered in blood and cuts and bruises that I couldn't recognize her. Now, after reading this note, I think that was her."

"What makes you say that, Pearls? You just said that you couldn't recognize the body."

She jerked her head up to meet my eyes. "The suicide note, Mister Nick."

I sighed. "Pearls, the body might have belonged to someone else's."

"But Mystic Amelia's a girl! The body we found behind the incinerator was small and petite! It could have only belonged to a girl! And the body that was out in the open was a male's!" she protested.

"Pearls, you're forgetting the possibility that it could have been someone gay (1)." I joked.

Pearls put her hand to her mouth. "You're right Mister Nick!" It seemed as if she took my joke literary. "But I still think that it's Mystic Amelia! The symbol proves it!"

I looked at Pearls. "Um, Pearls, I thought only the Master of the Kurain channeling technique had a symbol."

"Yes, but she made this one up. To be more precise, Mystic Maya did. She was fooling around with a brush when she was younger and this picture was formed. Mystic Amelia liked it so much that she made it her insignia."

I never knew Maya could draw. "So that means, this letter was written by her before she died."

Pearls started to cry. "Why would Mystic Amelia kill herself?"

"There, there, Pearls," I tried to console her.

Pearls handed me the note. "Please read it to me. It might say why she did so."

I started to read the note.

_SUICIDE NOTE _

_I hope someone has found this note. _

_If someone is reading this, please understand that I had no choice. Please tell the acolytes that I'm sorry for leaving them and please tell young Pearl and Maya that I'm sorry to leave them as well. _

_I had no other choice. I had to kill myself. I knew too much about _that person_. _That person_ gave me two options: They kills me or I kill myself._

_I decided to kill myself (as you can see) and I wrote this note. _

_Everyone, please forgive me for what I did._

*insert magatama insignia here*

"So that's why," Pearls said to herself, as she stopped crying. She got up. "Right, we'd better find 'that person' she was talking about! It's all 'that person's fault! If it wasn't for 'that person', Mystic Amelia would've still been alive!" She rolled up her sleeves.

"Calm down, Pearls. We'll find him or her who caused her to die."

Pearls stopped flailing her arms (when did she start doing that?) and turned to me. "I guess you're right, Mister Nick, but what if we can't find 'that person'?

"We will, Pearls," I reassured her. One thing still bothered me though. Why would a suicide note be in an incinerator and why does it have the words 'SUICIDE NOTE' written on top of it. Usually, suicide notes would have been hidden somewhere where no one would find it. And, why the incinerator? I paused.

_What if the note was forged?_

I got up from where I was sitting-well, kneeling-and headed out the door. I needed to search the crime scene again. If it was suicide, there was a possibility that there would be ink on her finger. There was an ink blot on the note and there should be some ink on her hands.

Pearls stayed in the room. She said that she wanted to inform Mia about it. When I left, she was having trouble writing a note.

* * *

The crime scene was exactly the same as I had left it before. But, the police were surrounding a nearby tree.

I went over to where they were to see what the commotion was about. My eyes grew wide. A big puddle of blood surrounded Detective Gumshoe who was having trouble standing up and leaning against the tree.

* * *

**A/N: How was that? Another mystery to add to the list of mysteries Phoenix has! I think this will be one loooooooong story. Chapter 7 will be written and posted the next time I'll be able to sneak out of bed. XD Sorry if the chapters are all so short...**

**(1) In my previous school (yes, i transfered out of my, now, 'previous' school recently) we would usually make up jokes involving homosexuals. No offense to those out there. On my profile is a simple conversation we had which is a good example of it.  
**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	7. Police Officers and Lookalikes

**A/N: The 7****th**** chapter ^^ I wonder how long this story will be…Ah well, we'll find out later, I think. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the PW gang. **

I ran at full speed to where the detective was and shoved people out of my way. I was worried about him. Other normal people would be too if they saw a person standing up from a pool of blood. But, what if the pool of 'blood' was actually tomato sauce? Hm…

Detective Gumshoe needed a few people supporting him as he attempted to stand. As he leaned on one of them, he gave the crowd of people his usual goofy smile. "It's okay, I tripped on the rock and it bit my foot," he said, reassuring us.

The crowd raised an eyebrow before dispersing. It looks like they don't believe him. I didn't believe him as well. Getting bitten by a rock? How stupid does he think we are?

"Hey, pal," he greeted me again, "How's the in…ves-." He fainted.

The ambulance came soon after. I made a metal note to myself to go visit him later. Two people were carrying a stretcher. Each person wore a uniform saying 'Hotti Clinic'. I asked one of them, "Hey, how is he?"

"He's okay for a person who almost got killed. But, we found this note in his hands. We couldn't make it out. It was covered in blood." He handed me the note. Another note? This could be one of those fake suicide notes.

I slowly opened it up. It was covered in blood just like what the person said. I tried to read the note, making out letters as I go with no luck. I went back to the side room.

"Mister Nick! You're back!" Pearls said.

"Yeah."

"Why do you look so sad?"

"Detective Gumshoe almost got killed by someone."

Pearls gasped. She covered her mouth with her hand. "That's horrible, Mister Nick! Who would do such a thing to the scruffy detective?"

I smiled. Pearls still called him 'Scruffy Detective' and 'Dick' every now and then. "I don't know, I answered her."

"Mister Nick, you shouldn't be smiling, if you do, people would think that you're a sadist!"

A detective came in. She was wearing a coat too, like Detective Gumshoe, but it wasn't as old as his or as dirty. "You two," she said, pointing to us, "get out of here. We want to search this room and some of the policemen want to question you."

I slipped the note in my pocket without the detective knowing. She looks familiar, I think I've seen here somewhere before, but I'm not so sure. We exited the room.

Then I remembered. SHE'S APRIL MAY!! I spun around. "What are you doing out of prison!" I screamed.

"Huh?" she asked.

"What are you doing out of prison?!?!" I repeated.

"I've never been to prison!"

"Yes, you have! I thought you were sentenced for ten years!"

She blew her whistle that was hanging around her neck. "Hold it right there, Sir. I've never been to prison. Although I am a licensed detective, I haven't even visited the detention center yet!"

"That can't be right, you're April May!"

She looked shocked. "You know my cousin?!?!"

Her cousin? Oh. Well, that would've explained the purple hair instead of the usual pink. "Sorry, my bad," I apologized.

"You still haven't answered my question. How do you know my cousin?"

"I'll explain it to you later." I saw her open her mouth to ask why, but shut it again as she saw a very angry police officer standing behind me.

"Right, I'll see you later, then."

The police officer dragged me and Pearls away from the side room. I wonder why. Ah, well, I'll find out later.

The police officer would probably question us about things like what we were doing at the time of the murder and such and what we were doing in the side room before they came.

They questioned Pearls first. Just as they were about to say something, she ran away. "Hey! Get that kid!" someone shouted. They started chasing after her. I didn't know Pearls could out run police officers. She should join the Olympics.

When Pearls finally stopped. The officers dragged her back to where I was, out of breath. "Why did you run, little girl?" they started interrogating her again.

Pearls remained quiet. "Um, Pearls, answer their question. If you don't they'll get angry and send you to jail.

Pearls looked up at him and said, "Mother told me that if anyone suspicious tries to talk to you, run away."

The officers looked at each other. They were probably thinking 'Do I look suspicious?' "I see. So, what were you doing in the side room before we came in?"

I froze. Should I tell the police about the note? Or shouldn't I?

Pearls answered, "He was teaching me how to read, right?"

"R-right," I answered.

"I see." He wrote a few things in his writing pad, "Well, where were you when Detective Gumshoe got stabbed?"

"DETECTIVE GUMSHOE GOT STABBED?!?!" I shouted.

"Yeah, I guess you didn't notice the knife sticking out of his back. Oh wait, his back was against the tree, never mind. Hey, don't change the subject! Where were you when he was stabbed?"

"Well, I was at the crime scene. You saw me, didn't you?" I answered. The officer nodded his head.

"And I was in the side room," Pearls said.

He stopped writing in his notepad. "Why were you in different places and why did you go to the side room after the stabbing?" he said, glaring at me.

"Well, you see, I wanted to investigate further and I left Pearls behind and after the stabbing, I wanted to make sure that Pearls was alright. I was worried about her," I lied. Well, not really lie. I was really worried about her.

"I see, you're a nice father," he told me.

I almost screamed by head off. Me? A father?

"Mister Nick's not my father. My father went away somewhere when I was young," Pearls said.

"I'm sorry little girl. Here, to cheer you up, let me show you a real pistol!"

"Officer!" I gasped. Clearly, this officer is no better; showing a little kid a real gun!

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKK

Someone screamed. The scream came from the side room of the Fey Manor.

**A/N: There! I'm done with the 7****th**** chapter! Also, I've just gotten my own laptop, so I will be updating more frequently! Woot!**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	8. Maya is freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

**A/N: This will be one long story, but I don't mind at all. Sorry if my chapters are short to you people. I'll try writing longer chapters in the future, but I'll start doing that later…When my holidays start…**

* * *

We ran toward the screaming noise. It was probably April May's cousin who had never mentioned her name. She was the only person there when we last left the room. I slid open the sliding door.

April May's cousin was lying on the floor, soaked with blood. In front of her was another body. The body of the real April May. Or at least, I think so. The real April May that was supposed to be in prison. I cautiously walked over to the two bodies on the floor, checking for a pulse. The real April May was dead, whereas her cousin was still alive. The police behind me called the ambulance from the phone booth in front of the house.

The ambulance came again—the second time that day. It seems as though detectives investigating this case were getting hurt one by one. The only question was 'why'? And 'who' as well, but, I'll find that out later. I think I'm too lazy to ask myself more questions and think about them to such an extent that my mind would blow up.

I watched the second detective that got hurt today being carried on the same stretcher Detective Gumshoe was in. You could tell. When it came before, there were small holes poking out of it and several blood stains. The same blood stains and holes were on the stretcher.

The police officer that was interrogating us before stood before us. His expression grave. "Look," he said, "We need to investigate further on this matter, and it seems that I need your help. I think you know more about this case than I do, and all the other policemen behind me, so I propose a truce."

Pearls answered the man for me, "Yes, Mister, but, on one condition."

"And what is that?" he asked.

* * *

"NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICCKKKKKKKKKKK!!!! I'm freeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!" Maya shouted, jumping up and down. Do they feed their prisoners candy or something? Perhaps a whole sack of it per day. Sigh. What is wrong with the police's minds?

Though, I had to admit, Pearls was pretty smart to ask for Maya to be cleared out of suspicion of bombing a crime scene, but, in doing so, she has made Maya seem even more suspicious.

"Mystic Maya!" Pearls greeted her. I could tell that she really missed her. And so could half the people staring at her as she started crying.

The police officer from before cleared his throat to get our attention. Pearls stopped hugging Maya and was pulled away by several scary-looking policemen into another room. I think this conversation is something little kids are not supposed to hear.

"Allow me to introduce myself, I am Woof Wolfe. Pleased to meet you."

Maya and I practically died from laughter. He should really change his name to 'Woof Woof'. It would make it much easier for everyone, especially Pearls, to remember his name. All you have to do is remind them, children, of the song 'Old McDonald' and say 'and the dog goes'. This would save a whole lot of time for parents to teach their kids what sounds dogs make.

I introduced Maya, who was sitting beside me, when my laughter had died down. She still kept laughing.

"Right," he said, "Tell me all you know about this 'April May' person."

Maya gasped. "What?! You are asking us for information so soon?! I haven't even received my complimentary cookies!" she shouted.

"Er…What?" Woof asked. He really seems confused. I wonder why. Oh yes, Maya's sudden outburst about not getting any free cookies.

"Don't mind her. I'm still surprised they haven't arrested and admitted her into a mental institute," I said. He did just as I said, ignoring all her comments on sugar, caffeine, spiders, paper, cotton and other unimportant things. It seems as if she has nothing better to do. I explained the Redd White incident and hoped that he would know something that I don't or do something more productive than to just sit there and nod his head like a complete maniac.

Of course, Maya was taped to her chair sometime during my explanation. I wonder if the earth would suffer from a shortage of tape soon. I mean, people have been using it to keep her down all this time. I never knew that tape was so handy til I met Maya. Well, after Maya got a 'not guilty' verdict from Mia's case, which happened to be the same case where we met April May.

"Well, from what I can tell, someone probably killed her for knowing too much about her boss Redd White. But, does she know what I think she knows?" Woof stated after I finished my explanation.

"Well, I don't know what you know and I think I want to know and I also want to know why I keep using the word 'know'. Is this some kind of disease?" Maya asked.

I sighed again. "I don't know," I said simply.

"See! Even Nick is saying it! It_ is_ a disease!"

"_Riiiiiight_," I said. Maya suddenly turned serious.

"Nick, what happened? Is something wrong? Why am I here and not in jail? WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PLACE?!" she looked at the wall behind Woof and saw a large pool of blood on the floor and wall.

Woof rubbed the back of his head. "Hehehe...The previous suspect we questioned kind of gotten out of control and let's just say that the person guarding him is not with us anymore."

Someone actually _died_ in this room?

Satisfied with his answer, Maya turned to me. "Answer my question, Nick. What happened?"

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, I think I'll just leave it at that for a while. I have no inspiration at this moment whatsoever. I'll update once I have. Also, if I had ever told you that I'll be updating quicker, I was sadly mistaken. School is giving a whole lot more homework for us to do nowadays. I'll update whenever I have time, or at least, think I have time…I don't know why I had just said that or what it means.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	9. KABOOM Again?

**A/N: I've put this story off for far too long. I might as well write a chapter. I'm sorry for making you wait this long, people who enjoy reading this.**

I explained every detail of what had happened from when she got arrested to the point of where April May's corpse was found and her identical cousin being sent to the hospital. She stayed at her seat and was quiet. This was the first time she became very quiet after her mother's death in the Hazakura Temple.

"So, you're saying that we need to find out who killed Mr. Nats and who Pearly's father is and who attacked the detectives and everything else?! That's a lot of work, Nick! How does your head not explode from all those unanswered questions?" Maya exclaimed.

I rolled my eyes. "Maya, we'll get nowhere if you continue ranting like that. How 'bout this, since we only have two more days before Lee's trial. We'll take things one at a time, since if we get separated, something bad will happen to you and, worst case scenario, you'll be sent to prison…Again! Do you know how many times you've been to prison already? Do you know how many officers have gone deaf because of you? A lot!"

"Fine, fine. Jeez, Nick, you should take it easy every now and then."

"How can I if I'm the one paying bail!"

Pearls started to cry. "Wahhh!! Mister Nick and Mystic Maya are arguing! Soon they'll break-up! How could you Mister Nick!" she cried while punching me really hard on the shoulder. I wonder if she's ever joined boxing before…

Maya and I immediately stopped 'arguing' to get Pearls to stop crying. She did so immediately after we became quiet. She should be an actress later on in the future. Why does Pearl have such a bright future and I don't?

Maya and I were dragged out of the room by Pearls and her unbelievable strength and to an ice-cream shop.

"Um, Pearly, why are we in an ice-cream shop?" Maya asked.

Pearls hesitated a bit before answering, "Well, when Mister Nick left to visit the scruffy detective, a lady came and she asked me to go to this ice-cream shop when Mystic Maya has been freed from jail."

Maya and I stared at each other. 'A lady'? Just who is this lady?

"Um…Pearly, do you still remember what your mother told you? When a suspicious-looking person comes up to you, run away. Also, what does the lady look like?" said Maya.

Pearls hesitated for a bit before answering, "Well, I couldn't really see her face. I could only hear her voice. She was outside the room and the voice popped out of nowhere and it scared me. I quickly hid the note under the bed."

Phoenix was about to say something before the building behind them exploded. (1)

They all turned to the ice-cream shop and ran towards the explosion.

What once was the ice-cream shop was a pile of rubble and ashes. The explosion was only small but it was big enough to explode the small shop.

"Nick!" Maya screamed.

I ran to where she was and I saw why she freaked out. Beside a pile of rubble was a dead body. "Another body, Nick," Maya said.

I looked at the body. There was nothing to see. It was only a dead, burnt person…Which somehow reminds me of toast and also of my hunger. I haven't eaten today.

My mind cleared from all those thoughts. Hunger. The ice-cream shop. We came here because someone 'told' Pearls to. What if, the person the lady whom Pearls was talking about was not talking to Pearls, but someone else? To the bomber. But it would be cool to know a person called Bomber Man. That person could also be a terrorist!

Also, after Pearls and I had gone out, the detective nearly got killed along with April May who appeared there out of nowhere. What is she? A magician? Nah, she's too lame to be one.

I put my hand on Maya's shoulder as a signal for her to get up. "Maya, we need to go to the Hotti Clinic. Now. Some of our answers could be solved if the lady detective is awake."

Maya nodded and skipped along with Pearls behind me. Seriously, she skipped. Well, Maya _is_ known to be a child at heart.

* * *

We arrived soon after we got lost a couple of times and asked for directions another couple of times.

The clinic was exactly the same as it was before. In the lobby, there was the same stationary man in the background with crutches and is trying to walk but isn't. Did he look into that snake-haired lady's eyes and got turned to stone? Hm…

I went over to the reception desk and asked the lady in charge if I could see the detective that was admitted earlier on today.

She realized who I was talking about right away and told me to wait patiently for her.

I sat down next to Maya and Pearls who were playing a word game with each other. I feel old.

"Egg."

"Sky."

"Nose."

"Die."

"Larry."

"Ink."

"Suicide."

"Gay."

"Er…What are you doing?" I asked. Their conversation didn't make any sense at all. What language are they speaking? A dialect of the language molecules use?

"We're playing, Mr. Nick! Want to join?" Pearls explained…And asked.

"Um, sure, but how do you play?"

They looked at me in disbelief. "I say a word and then you have to say the first word that pops into your mind, okay?" Maya explained after a few seconds of her staring at me.

Just as I was about to answer, the receptionist lady came running back in panic. "SHE'S GONE!!" she shouted. Ah great. Just as I thought I could finally get a lead on something. Now I've just wasted a few hours of my time.

**A/N: Yes, I know. I like exploding things. Bear with me. Anyways, I'll be uploading every now and then when I have time...If it's during the weekdays, it'd probably be at night as in the morning I'm at school and in the afternoon, I have a tight schedule with homework who is currently torturing me. Go homework. **

**Hehe…Another explosion. Sorry, I couldn't help myself. I just couldn't resist. **

**PLEASE REVIEW!!**


	10. Author's Note

Hi.

I know that I am not allowed to post author's notes as separate chapters, but this is just temporary.

I have reread this story and I don't feel very proud of it and I don't really like the story all that much, so I will be rewriting the story sometime once I make up a plot (finally, a plot!) and rewrite the whole thing. You see, I have trouble remembering things and, no, I'm not old, so to avoid confusion in between chaps, I will write the whole thing first and then post them.

I will delete the story in a week…I take that back. I'll delete it this weekend.

Thank you for your attention!


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